


Later That Night

by Sisko_Fan



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Some Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 17:38:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12587128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sisko_Fan/pseuds/Sisko_Fan
Summary: We get a glimpse of Mike's perspective on everything that led up to the Snow Ball, including challenges that made it all the more important to Mike and Eleven. Then, finally, they have real private time.





	1. The Snow Ball

**Author's Note:**

> Here is my first published fanfiction. It begins and ends on the night of the Snow Ball, with a detour. I hope people enjoy it.
> 
> I would never wish to try to deprive the geniuses Matt and Ross Duffer of their due credit for creating these great characters, along with their "true story." No copyright infringement is intended on the part of this fan. I write only to express my fandom in the hopes that "Stranger Things" continues to grow as a series. Thank you, Matt and Ross, cast members all, kids and adults, and thank you, Netflix, for taking the chance.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids are at the Snow Ball and we learn about Mike's internal experience of the recents events.

The Snow Ball was everything young Mike Wheeler had dreamt of. It didn’t matter that neither he nor Eleven knew how to dance. They figured it out – together – at least to their own satisfaction. To feel Eleven’s arms around hm, and her gentle kisses to his lips filled Mike with emotions that threatened to overwhelm him, both joy at having El back in his life and ghosts of the horrible grief and despair he had felt for merely days short of a year. And then there was an unshakable fear of losing her again. She had promised that would never happen, and promises were something you never break, but how much control would she have over what happened to her? There was a lot of security in the fact that Chief Hopper was now El’s adoptive father. The bad men wouldn’t be able to come back and take her away legally, but her appearance in Mike’s life and then her reappearance were both surrounded by stranger things than anyone could imagine, forces that threatened not only Mike’s own sense of security, but the safety of his whole town, at the very least.

Nor was Eleven the only reminder of that threat. Will Byers had been the focus of the dramatic events this year and last. He had been kidnapped by what they called a demogorgon for the lack of a better name, nearly killed, apparently killed, and then taken over. He had been subjected to one medical exam after another and Mike couldn’t blame him for resenting feeling like everyone was treating him like he would break like a dry twig. They had driven the Shadow Monster (or Mind Flayer as Dustin called it in an analogy to a character from Dungeons and Dragons) from him, but was it really gone for good? Was the gate to the Upside Down closed forever? No one could really know for sure. Mike, Eleven, their friends and families could only hope and meanwhile try to have a normal life.

Will had always been one of Mike’s closest friends. But since Halloween, Mike had become withdrawn. It was much easier to stick by Will, in spite of all that Will was going through, than to be part of a larger group; and, if truth be told, Will needed such a friend just as much. Through it all, Mike and Will shared a bond created by their feelings of being so very alone, no one really understanding what they were going through. They could talk honestly before Will was too taken over to really be himself. If they were both going crazy, like each felt, at least they could go crazy together. That was comforting in its own way. And Mike played a key roll in reaching Will as the Mind Flayer took over his body and his mind. 

It was terrifying to see his best friend convulsing and screaming, and, worst of all, forgetting people, not to mention not knowing if it would be possible to exorcise the demon without killing Will himself. Mike wasn’t a wuss or mama’s boy who would cry at any little disappointment or knee scrape. He had been the group’s leader before El disappeared, In the last year, however, he had cried more than he had ever cried as a little kid. He had tried to keep Dustin and Lucas from seeing him cry. They wouldn’t laugh at him or anything, but they really just couldn’t relate to how badly he was hurting and he didn’t want his friendships to be weighed down by them having to put up with him being on edge. With Will, however, it was different. Will was experiencing isolation for different reasons, but he too was trying to put on a good face as much as possible and not weigh his friends down.

When Max, “Madmax” as she called herself on games at the arcade, had first shown up, Mike had resented her. He didn’t want her invading his party. As far as he was concerned, in spite of her absence, El was still part of that party and the party was complete. They didn’t need anyone else. That Lucas and Dustin were both strongly attracted to her only threatened Mike’s only source of security all the more. The fact that they had all signed documents swearing silence about the events of last year and those events were coming back to haunt them all didn’t help either. It meant that discussing the true implications of what was happening in the present was all the harder and naturally Max couldn’t understand why she was being shut out. Mike wasn’t so insensitive that he didn’t really that it was hurtful for her, but he didn’t have the luxury or the emotional energy to really care. To him, she was just in the way, an annoyance. 

Of course, those factors all paled compared to his feeling that he couldn’t let Max into the party without betraying El, and his feelings were justified. He wasn’t aware at first when El sneaked into the school and saw Max trying to impress him, and her skateboarding was impressive and he did smile. When Max fell and said it felt like an external force had done something, Mike’s hopes were lifted and he ran out to find El, but jealous, she had disappeared. Even though he didn’t know for sure that El had been there, the event had served to make Mike all the more resolute about not betraying El by letting Max into the party and his hostility toward her showed.

The resentment had faded over the past month with El present. Max had proven in the midst of crisis and danger that she did fit into the party and, well, there was no getting around the fact that she and Lucas were becoming an item. Refusing her a place would only alienate Lucas and that Mike was not willing to do. Lucas was too good a friend. It became much easier to accept Max as Mike got to know her, see her sense of humor and her inner strength, being able to appreciate her good qualities from the security of having El at his side. The fact that Max and El had become best of friends was the best part of all. In the days shortly after El sealed the gate, Max had assured her that she did not wish to take Mike away from her and her behavior proved her intentions. She was always kind to Mike, but it was clear that her eyes were as much on Lucas as his were on her. Neither Mike nor Eleven saw when Max kissed Lucas square on the lips during the Snow Ball, but that kiss was the seal on a relationship that had allowed El to become close to Max, a help to both, being the only girls in the group. They could have sleep-overs and talk about the all the boys’ annoying habits, laugh, and know that they wouldn't’ trade the boys in for a million dollars.

There were other things that neither Mike nor Eleven noticed at the Snow Ball. The biggest was the rejection that Dustin suffered from other girls as he tried to emulate Steve Harrington only to crash and burn. Mike would have been very relieved and proud had he seen his big sister, Nancy, go to the rescue. What could have been a dreadful, even traumatic memory for a boy Dustin’s age, Nancy turned into one of the best nights of Dustin’s young life. There was no doubt in Dustin’s mind that Nancy would never be his girlfriend. The age difference was too much and she was with Jonathan now and clearly belonged with him. Still, her kindness that night meant the world to Dustin, especially her reassurance that girls were going to wise up and really like him. Even years later Dustin would never regret that Nancy was another guy’s girl. She had said that he was her favorite among her brother’s friends and that was enough. From that night Dustin loved her as his own big sister.

Mike had seen when a girl asked Will to dance, calling him “Zombie Boy.” Will seemed to have a really good time with her. “Zombie Boy” had been a name thrown at Will cruelly by many for the whole last year, but somehow this girl seemed to turn it around, making it an affectionate nickname. Mike didn’t even know the girl’s name, but he appreciated her kindness toward Will all the same. In the end, though Mike was not aware of all of the details, he knew as he walked out of the gym holding hands with El, that his friends had all had a good time. He had promised to take El to the Snow Ball the year before, and now it was a dream come true all around.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, that if I had been in Mike's shoes, I would have been utterly devastated by El's disappearance, especially as it happened only a few minutes after that first kiss. Back in the season one, chapter three, "The Holly Jolly," El tells Mike that she understands after he tells her about Troy. He looks at her with an appreciative smile, and I have perceived that as the moment when she went from being like E.T. in his mind to being a romantic interest. Needless to say, the romance was sealed when El saved Mike after he jumped off the cliff to save Dustin. Mike had proven to El that he was serious about friends doing anything for each other, and it's hard to not love a girl who saves you from certain death.


	2. Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike sees a part of his father he has never known existed, and it's not the fun part.

Adults, especially parents, can be so annoying, Mike thought to himself many times between the night that Eleven closed the gate and the night of the Snow Ball. Yeah, sure, he was old enough and smart enough to realize that, in their own feeble way, they were all looking out for his and El’s bests interests, but he swore that a lot of times they didn’t really know what they were doing. When he became a parent himself years later, he would learn that he was right in no small part. Both his mother and Chief Hopper had gone to great extents to not give the kids more than 10 minutes a time totally by themselves. Oh, they would go into another room and not eavesdrop on conversations or spy on kisses, but it was impossible to engage in a serious talk, something both of them needed very badly.

The exception to the annoying parents rule was Mike’s father. Relations between the two of them were strained at best. Mike’s parents had been led to believe that the mystery girl that their son had hidden in the basement last year was a dangerous Russian girl. Until a month ago, they had never actually seen Eleven. They had seen a picture of her from the year before with her hair buzzed, looking like a boy. Ted had bought Brenner’s story without question. What had begun as a parent-child discussion devolved quickly into the biggest fight the Wheeler house had ever seen. It was triggered by Ted showing that he still believed Brenner.

“Michael, the people from the government told us that she is a Russian plant. They told us that has killed people. She’s dangerous. You need to stay away from her,” Ted said.  
“And you still believe that bullshit? Don’t you get it? HE LIED! He lied to cover his own ass because he didn’t want anyone to find out that he had kidnapped El, lied about her dying, and tortured her for her whole life!” Mike’s face was starting to turn red with rage.

“Language! This is our government, they are on our side. You’ll understand that when you grow up."

“Fuck language and fuck the government!” Mike yelled. “You sit around and always tell me to listen to my mother as if you had nothing to say about anything and NOW you expect me to respect you when I know what you’re saying is bullshit? NOT HAPPENING!”

“Michael,” Karen attempted to intercede, “I understand how you feel, but please try to see this from our point of view. Would you want your kid having a girlfriend who was a killer?”

Mike stopped raging for a moment and took a breath. His mother did have a point. It was based a lie, but until she really understood that, he could see why she would be concerned.

“You say that what those people said was all a lie,” Karen continued. “Has she killed people?”

Yes,” Mike said, "but it was in self-defense. I was there the last time, Mom. They were aiming guns at her and at me and Dustin and Lucas. They were going to kill all of us. Chief Hopper tied the murder of Benny from the diner to them. El saved us, Mom, she saved ME. It wasn’t the first time either. Troy forced me to jump off a cliff to save Dustin. If El hadn’t used her powers to save me, you would have had a funeral for me last year.”

Karen was visibly shocked. “You jumped off of a cliff to save Dustin?”

“Yeah, but that’s not important right now.”

“You’re right,” Karen conceded. Mike had presented her with information that she could verify independently. She couldn’t ignore that, but she still had questions. “What about what she did to Lucas?”

“That was an accident. Lucas and I were fighting and Eleven got scared and lost control of her powers. Later, though, when she had to stop me from trying to stop her from fighting the demogorgon who was trying to kill us, she was careful. She learned that she needed to be careful.”

Karen was still bewildered and didn’t know what to say. That word 'demogorgon' had come up again. “Look, Mike, I still don’t get this bit about the monster. You call it a dem-o-something.”

“Demogorgon,” Mike supplied.

“Isn’t that something from your Dungeons and Dragons games, something made up?”

Mike took another breath and spoke anxiously but in an even tone. “Yes, the name is of a made up monster from D&D, but it’s the closest name we can find to describe this thing. Ask Mrs. Byers what it looked like and what it did. Ask Chief Hopper.”

It was at this point that Ted, who had been silent with his voice but rather noisy in his anxious shifting and banging his hand against the wall, broke in again. “Hopper!” he exclaimed, “Hopper should arrest himself as a commie spy. He said he’d kept the girl hidden for a whole year.”

“That’s right,” said Mike, trying to be calm but knowing he wouldn’t stay calm for long, “he did. He hid her because he knew what they would due to her and he also knew that they were lying about shit – like Will’s death. In case you didn’t notice, he’s not dead.”

Karen sat there looking from her husband to her son, feeling the tension rise again. She didn’t say a word to defend either of them or to accuse either. It was clear to Mike that his mother was trying to stay out of this part. Normally she would have landed on him hard for the way he was talking. Finally, she said quietly, “He’s got a point, Ted. They definitely did lie about Will. The cover-up was in the papers.”

Ted turned on her now. “The newspapers? Who do you think runs the press in this country? The commies, THAT'S WHO!”

Mike had never heard his father speak like this before. For that matter, he had scarcely ever heard his father raise his voice or express any sort of firm opinion. This was a side of his father that had remained completely hidden from him his whole life up until now. It disturbed him. It was the kind of bigotry that he knew some people had toward other races; the kind that he had been taught had no place in civil society. To hear it coming from his own father, a man who normally seemed to have no thought of his own, was shocking and, frankly, scary. But he had to deal with the issue at hand, especially if his father was going to retreat to beliefs that Mike knew were false. He wouldn’t do that.

“What do _you_ know?” he asked, more insolently than he had intended, but he had been triggered. “You go to work, you come home, you haven’t the slightest idea what’s going on around here, and you ask what you did wrong when Mom looks to you for support and you don’t give it. If you don’t even know what’s going on at home, what makes you think you have a fucking clue about what’s happening in the world - or even in this town? What's wrong with you, Dad? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?”

“What’s wrong with me,” said Ted fury building up inside of him, “is that this whole country is going down the tubes and nobody sees a problem. We have a police chief who’s helping communist agents and getting away with it. Why doesn’t the government do anything about it?”

“Oh, I thought the government was on _our_ side; that we were supposed to _trust_ them,” Mike retorted. “Isn’t that what you said? I guess that only works as long as they’re not letting _you_ down. No, Dad, what’s wrong with you is that Dustin is right: you’re useless!” Dustin had told Mike about his father not having a clue where he was nor Nancy was or even seeming to want to be bothered.

“Now you listen to me, young man,” Ted started, breathing heavily. “I AM your father! You don’t talk to me like that! I’ve had enough of this. I’m calling the FBI tomorrow and you are not to go near that girl or Chief Hopper. Got it?”  
Mike glared at him. It was the first time he had ever acted like he had a backbone and he was making no sense whatsoever, and he was trying to keep him away from El. Mike’s anger burst into a roaring flame. “NO! FORGET THAT! IT'S NOT HAPPENING! NO WAY!”

“What did you say to me?” Ted snarled.

“I _said_ it’s not happening.” Mike’s pitch rose, as well as his volume, as he continued. “I went through a year of HELL, FUCKING HELL! I didn’t know where she was or if she was dead or alive. Then I saw Bob Newby get eaten by those monsters and just as I really started to think the same thing had happened to El, she came back. I am NOT staying away from her. PERIOD!"

Mike could not recall the last time his father had struck him, or if there ever had been a time, but Ted’s hand hit Mike across the top of his ear and the side of his head, stunning him momentarily, but not knocking him down. His mother jumped up and came between them to prevent any further hitting. Mike glared at his father a few moments before saying, “If you do that, if you do ANYTHING to take Eleven away from me, I will fucking HATE you for the rest of my life! YOU HEAR ME? I'LL HATE YOU!”

If Ted Wheeler had any doubts about his son being serious, he was badly mistaken. Mike was seeing things about his father that no son ever wanted to see. At that moment, he did hate his father, and only marginally less than he hated the Bad Men who had hurt El. As far as Mike was concerned, if his father was really willing to do what he said, he was one of the Bad Men.

“Go to your room!” Ted bellowed.

“No!” Karen interjected. "No, he’s not going to his room. Mike, leave. Go find one of your friends. Stay the night if you wish. Call me and tell me where you’ll be – _please_.” She made sure the please was emphasized. Mike nodded to her in agreement. He glared at his father one last time before he turned and left, grabbing his jacket and walking out the front door.

Lucas lived closest and was always level-headed. His parents always liked Mike and so he was sure he could take refuge there for the night. When Lucas’s parents said it was OK, he kept his word and called his mother. She naturally tried to be conciliatory and get Mike to remember that he loved his dad and things would work out.

“I don’t think so, Mom. I’m sorry. Maybe I’ll feel different in the morning or in a few days, but right now, I can’t see it happening. Please don’t let him make trouble for El. Talk to Mrs. Byers and Chief Hopper, PLEASE.”

“I will, Mike, I promise. Good night.”

“Good night, Mom.”

In spite of the huge scene, it took a while for Joyce Byers and Chief Hopper to convince Karen that the girl was safe to be around and that she and Ted should not attempt to stand between Mike and Eleven; the result, as he knew from his recent experience with El, would certainly be resentment and rebellion. Karen couldn’t argue with that. It would be far more productive to set reasonable limits based on as much understanding of what the two kids had gone through as they could muster. In the end, between feeling her son’s wrath and hearing of the chief’s experience with El and Joyce’s, she relented. She knew she had to talk her husband down. She knew that serious damage had been done to the relationship between Ted and Mike. Karen did her best to keep her son’s trust in her and it largely worked. He hadn’t missed the fact that his mother had not taken his father’s side. He also recognized that she had realized there was something wrong with Brenner and had doubts about him from the beginning. He knew that she regretted trusting Brenner at all, even if she had felt forced to do so. Still, she too could be rather clueless and he wasn’t very confident that she would really, truly understand his feelings.

The situation between Mike and his father did not resolve quickly or easily or even fully. Ted Wheeler never again had his son’s full trust. He had betrayed Michael with his blind patriotism and he gave no sign of comprehension. Even if Mike could forgive, he could not forget. In the months to come, Mike would talk to his mom about general stuff, but would avoid his father except to obey normal parental direction, and spoke to Ted only with “yes, sir” and “no sir” as he felt necessary to show respect to the father, if not the person who was his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things got a bit intense here. I have really seen Ted, as Dustin said, as utterly useless and couldn't help but expect that, eventually, this would lead to conflict with Mike. When they had him going on about everyone being patriots in his house, and realizing that he probably was born no later than 1950, and could easily have been influenced by the atmosphere of McCarthy era, I decided to use that theme as the spark of conflict.


	3. An Agreement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike is serious about his relationship with El and enters into an agreement with Hopper to prove it.

There were some sound reasons for his parents’ concern, or at least his mother’s. Mike accepted that after the Chief explained to him that Dr. Owens had told him that it would be best if El wasn’t seen in public much for at least another year. As a result, she was being homeschooled as best as the Chief and Joyce Byers and Karen Wheeler could work out with help from Mr. Clark and a couple of other specially selected teachers from Hawkins Middle School. They were told no more than they needed to know, and sworn to strict confidentiality through a legal contract about what they did learn. Hopper had called Mike into his office about a week after everything was over for a “man-to-man” talk It was one of his “Look, kid, I get it” lectures, and Mike was confident that the chief did understand, making it much easier to respect him, but the message was made crystal clear by the fact that they were in a police station and the chief was in uniform with his sidearm. He was speaking to Mike as a grown-up, a cop, and a father. Mike was even grateful to know that El had a new father who would really take care of her, who would protect her if any new bad men came along.

The most important part of the talk was that they came to an agreement allowing Mike seeing El every day. In return, the chief expected Mike to show maturity and responsibility. He emphasized that El could still be in danger, especially when she didn’t know how to handle situations that might scare her or upset her. They needed to keep her powers completely out of sight. It didn’t take any convincing for Mike to see the chief’s point there and Mike appreciated how the chief was talking to him like a human being, not like he was “just a kid.” He figured that wasn’t easy for the chief. Knowing that El had run away, but come back told Mike that the chief was having a tough time with parenting, but was really trying. He could genuinely respect that.What was harder to understand was the parental concern about him getting involved with El sexually and getting her pregnant. He had, after all, learned about contraceptives; but more importantly, it bothered him that the adults didn’t take it for granted that he would never push El into doing anything she didn’t want to and that he would always look out for her, especially where she might not recognize problems that could arise that most people, even kids, would foresee.

Under the terms of the agreement, which was agreed to also by Karen, Mike would get some sort of minimal job, like doing yard work for an elderly neighbor regularly. His pay would go to covering dates with El. Parents would not cover those. By accepting that responsibility, Mike would show both his parents and Chief Hopper that he understood that loving El meant a certain amount of sacrifice and that he was mature enough to willingly accept that. He wasn’t about to let anyone down if for no other reason than the fact that the most important person he would be letting down would be himself. He was proud of himself for taking on that responsibility and he knew it gave El all the more reason to respect him as a boy growing into a man. Each school day Mike helped her with schoolwork, coupled with an afternoon snack. Sometimes El baked cookies while Mike was at school. Other times they made stuff together one day to have the next. Eleven made great progress with her school work and was learning to speak more conversationally. The adults had noticed. The night before the Snow Ball, Mike’s mother, Chief Hopper, and Joyce Byers all commented to him how pleased they were with all that was happening. Mike’s self-esteem skyrocketed and his determination to “keep up the good work” exploded inside him. The reward was well beyond either El’s or Mike’s expectations. The restriction on them being alone together was lifted. Starting with the Snow Ball, they were free to take bikes or walk if they wished when they went on dates, or to set the place to be picked up at 11:00 and they didn’t have to give a play-by-play about where they would be. On non-school nights, dates could evolve into sleep-overs as long as all of the kids were together or each of them went to the house of a same-sex friend after the date and let parents know what they were doing before someone drove to the pickup spot only to find them not there. Mike and El readily agreed to the new terms.

Nonetheless, the Snow Ball was a whole new experience. Mike and El were both nervous going into it. They didn’t see each other all day, each one getting ready in one way or another. Around 3:00 it hit Mike like a boulder that El really was back, she was his girlfriend, and she was there to stay. When she walked in, he had been sitting anxiously, just beginning to worry that something had happened. She was beautiful. There were many pretty girls there; even his sister, who was more of a chaperone, stood out from the crowd. El, however, was beyond anything Mike had ever seen. It was almost like seeing her for the first time and he made sure she knew how beautiful she was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think that if I had undergone what Mike did at his age, after being reunited with the girl I loved beyond all hope, I would be wanting to go the extra mile to keep her. I think I'd also understand that adults don't trust kids to be really serious in the long-run. We all learn about hormones in sex-ed classes. So, I'd want to impress the girl's dad too. But more importantly, as I wrote, I realized that it would be a real growing up experience for me. What would matter most to me would be seeing myself take responsibility.


	4. Alone At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After working hard to earn everyone's respect, and a dance that had been everything he had dreamt, Mike gets to enjoy some modicum of privacy with El, outdoors, under the stars.

They danced a lot, sat out a few, talking to their friends, telling jokes, and generally having a good time. Finally, though, the ball was over and they were alone. It was getting late, already 10:30. It was a warm evening for December, but chilly nonetheless. Neither Eleven nor Mike really cared, though. They lay together on a blanket on the ground, covered by a heavier blanket, in front of Hopper’s trailer by the pond, looking up a startlingly clear, star-filled sky, the moon being absent. They had found a spot to have privacy while still being in plain sight and talk. Neither cared where the conversation went. The important part was that they didn’t have to think about what they were saying, whether or not it was something they were comfortable with parents hearing, and they didn’t have a time restriction since they were at El’s home and the chief had agreed to take Mike home whenever. Hopper, as much as Mike, wanted to make that night perfect for El.

When they first got themselves situated, Mike started, “El, I’ve got to ask you this: What do you want to be called now? I know your real name is Jane, but I’m so used to calling you El. Still, it’s your choice what people call you. I could sure see why you’d want to forget being called ‘Eleven.’”

El turned her head to look at him. “You’re Mike, short for Michael. I’m El, short for Eleven. That’s what I always want you to call me. You, and Dustin, and Lucas, and Will. That will always be my special name with you.”

For a long while, as they held hands, Mike pointed out various constellations and told El things that Mr. Clarke had taught them in science class. El repeated the name of each constellation. She was amazed at the speed of light, what that said about how far away stars are and how old the universe is.

After lying silently for what must have been a minute, though it seemed to Mike like it was much longer, El said quietly, “So pretty.”

“Yeah, pretty, really pretty,” Mike said, remembering that day in the bathroom in his basement after El had saved him from the certain death of jumping from a cliff. He echoed his own words from that day, “El? I’m glad you’re home.”

“Me too,” El replied, sharing the memory.

Mike turned onto his side, holding himself up with his right elbow. Reaching his left hand over he brushed her hair and her cheek. “I missed you, El. It hurt more than injury I’ve ever had, worse than a broken ankle, and the pain wouldn’t go away no matter what I did. Last year on the night of the Snow Ball I went looking for you – again – and when I couldn’t find you I went back to my room and cried until I fell asleep.”

“I’m sorry, Mike. I didn’t want to leave you hurting like that. I came to your house that night." 

"You did? Really? I thought I saw you, but they saw me looking and went after you."

"They almost caught me. That's how I knew Hopper was right. It hurt so much to hear you calling for me and not able to answer. At least I knew where you were and that you were safe. It must have been, umm…”

“Hell?” Mike filled in. “Yeah, that’s _exactly_ what it was.”

“What is hell?” Eleven asked.

"Some people believe that hell is a place that bad people go after they die, where they are tortured by fire forever."

“Oh,” was all El could bring herself to say as tears filled her eyes. She knew Mike had been hurting, but the image hit her hard.

Mike looked at her. The memory was hard to talk about, but he hadn’t wanted to make her feel bad. “It’s not your fault, El. You did what Hopper said. I don’t even blame him anymore. He was trying to protect you, even if his way of doing it wasn’t very good. I understand. I’m really glad he’s your dad now. I know you’ll be safe with him until we’re grown up and can live on our own.”

“You want us to live together when we’re grown up?” El asked. She hadn’t thought about the future. The past and present had always been too overwhelming for her.

“Well, yeah, don’t you?” Mike asked with a twinge of panic.

“Yes, of course, I don’t ever want to leave you again.”

Mike breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, El, I feel the same way.”

Mike lay back down on his back and took El’s hand again. He felt her squeeze it affectionately and squeezed back. 

Ten minutes passed before either of them spoke again, while both gazed up at the starry sky and felt the late autumn chill in the air. They could smell the smoke of Hopper’s fireplace and hear the sound of crickets. Fireflies popped in and out around them. Mike slowly moved his thumb, caressing El’s hand. After about five minutes, El turned onto her side. She stroked his cheeks and his hair for a few minutes before lying back down with her head resting on his chest. He brought his arms up to embrace her, stroking her back gently. She looked so peaceful and content, maybe for the first time in her life, Mike thought. It was certainly the first time he had seen her look that much at peace. He was reluctant to ask the question that came to mind, afraid it might spoil everything, but he figured that El would at least understand him asking.

“El, can I ask you a question? You might not want to answer now, and that’s OK. I don’t want to ruin this time together, but I really want to know something when you’re ready.”

“You can, no, _may_ , ask me anything you want, Mike. If I don’t feel like answering right now, I’ll let you know. Friends don’t lie.”

“Good,” Mike said. “I see someone has been teaching you grammar,” he added with a smile.

“What do you want to know?” El asked.

“What did Brenner do to you? I know it was horrible, it must have been.”

“Yeah, it was hell for me,” Eleven said, remembering the word Mike had just used. “But you were right, I don’t want to talk about it now. I just want to lie here with you and talk about fun stuff and be happy. I promise I’ll tell you everything, just not tonight.”

“Thanks, El, for understanding my need to know. And you’re right too – this night is too good to waste on painful memories. I love you and I want tonight to be the happiest night of our lives.”

“It _is_ the happiest night of my life, Mike.” Sitting up suddenly and looking for a change of topic, El said, “Did you hear about Dustin’s new cat?”

Over the next few hours, Mike and El talked about their friends and how lucky they were to have them. Even though all of them had been through a lot, they found plenty of happy memories to share and laugh about and be grateful for. Dustin came up repeatedly, being the group’s comedian, and both of them were happy for Lucas and Max, smiling at how Max was still calling Lucas 'stalker.' Mike had to explain to Eleven what 'stalker' meant, but then she laughed too. One particular kiss that night would remain in their shared memory the rest of their lives. It grew deeper and deeper as they both reveled in it. 

When finally they pulled apart, Mike, eyes misty with tears of pure joy, put his hands on Eleven’s cheeks and looked closely into her eyes as he said, “I love you, El, more than anything in the universe. I don’t ever want you out of my life again. I want to grow old with you right here with me. That alone would make a very happy man.”

El looked back into Mike’s eyes as she replied, “I’ll, be here, Mike. I promise my most excellent promise. I love you too.”

Mike smiled at her. “You’ve been watching _E.T._ , haven’t you?”

“E. T. phone home,” El replied, imitating E.T. Then in her own voice, “El stay home.” She wrapped her arms around Mike pulling him into a bigger hug than her size would have suggested she could.

In the end, Hopper ended up getting a pretty good night of sleep. Dawn was just breaking when Mike and El agreed they needed _some_ sleep to be ready for the get-together of the whole party the next afternoon. With a last 'good night' or, more like 'good morning' kiss, Mike climbed into Chief Hopper’s truck and waved goodbye. He watched El walk to the door before he leaned his head back and smiled from ear to ear, his heart beating quickly, seemingly to the tempo of the happy song going through his head.

“I guess you had a good time, kid,” the chief said, chuckling.

“Oh yeah,” Mike said dreamily. "It was the best time of my whole life. I think El feels the same way too.”

“Good to hear, Mike, and I’m sure she does.”

“Thanks, Chief,” Mike said, suddenly serious and looking at Hopper.

“Don’t thank me, Mike. You earned it.” It wasn’t often that Hopper called Mike by his first name. Often it was just 'kid,' or sometimes 'Wheeler.' That was cool. Even when he said 'kid' Mike didn’t feel at all belittled. It reminded him of Paul Newman and Robert Redford.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to make it too saccharine. I may like romantic scenes more than some other guys, but still… Nevertheless, if I do like romantic scenes more than some guys I like to think that it is because I remember being a teenage boy. I also can't imagine that the pain of the last year could completely stay out. On the contrary, by admitting it, without dwelling on it too much, Mike and Eleven could take their own step forward and set a tone of openness and honesty in their relationship. "Friends don't lie."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm tough, guys, I can handle any constructive criticism you throw out. Thanks for reading!


End file.
